Electric zinc-furnace with integral condenser.



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ELECTRIC ZINGIY To all 'LU/0m it may concern .Be it known that l, JOHN TrioinloN,

citizen of the lnited States, and a ix lent of the borough of Manhattan of tile New York, in the County and State York, have invented certain new Improvements in Electric Zincurneces with Integral Condensers, of which the following is a specification, reference, being` made to the accompanying drawings, forniing a part hereof. l This invention relates to the metallurgy of zine, and its object is to produce by n tliermoel'xelnieal reaction zinc tunie which is subsequently condensed to liquid nietal.

A description of the particular means for attainingv the desired results and Such'an elueidation ot' such general principles applicable thereto as seein necessary for e eoinplete disclosure ol the inrention are set Yorth in this specification, reference. being had to the accompanying drawings forming a. part of said specification and in which drawings a specific embodiment is illustrated. A

In said drawings Figure l` is a transverse center section of the furnace viewed either as A or A1 of Fig. 2, the charg on the right band side being omitted. Fig. 2 on the lower or left hand side of its center line ie a vertical longitudinal section :is on the line B of Fig. l, while that portion the upper or right hand side of its center line is a. vertical longitudinal center seetion, as- C or Cl of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is e partial top plan View, as ou the horizontal planes l), D1 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4C is a diagrannnatic illus-- tration relating to a. detail of the operation.

This furnace is particularly,intended for the reduction of igeous oxid of zine soinbined with carbon as the reagent,- Where when adequately heated, snbstantiaily te following representative reaction ensues,

If pure Zn() and C are used in pre correct relative proportions, tnen the i of the above formele is terial would be volatilized es Zinc turnA no residue, but suela conditions do o ir commercial practice because more er of inert' residual matter will remain,

resistor is eo mi, wir est at a series of spaced nier grate beneath. win-eli i snmp n, whose function residual matter, as forming the resistor appr( like in cross section to pro thermal dispersion three 'its upper f lroin which the eli e reeeives hea The coi denser el' n sin' n is spesed und w the longiendl i 1 tween the resistors or alor center of the t'inneee.

a b o by means of rods, from the bottoms ot' the galleries into and throughthe outer ports 10, so as to force it upon the incandescent faces of the resistors. lVhen the stoking bar material charged upon the faces of the rc.

sistors are colder than the exposed inner surface of the tiles and consequently the heat received by the tiles is radiated from the said surfaces.

4 The charge, as'stoked upon the faces of each of the resistors, may ordinarily be as diagrainmatically denoted in Fig, 3. That is, it will tend toward a transverse ridge formation having between the ridges ltroughs or trenches 18 from whence the evolved fume and gas may find ready escape, as in the manner indicated by'the flow arrows, and thus rise into the free space of the reaction chamber. From the free space in each of the reaction chambers on the opposite sides of the condenser the evolved fumes and gases can pass or flow directly through the inner ports l2 to the receiving chamber 19 at the top of the condenser. As shown on the left hand sides of Figs. l and 3 the fume ports 12 may be filled with coke whereby if any CO2 is produced by the primary `reaction it may thus be eliminated by a secondary reaction. The passing of the products of the reaction through the coke in the ports 12 is to produce what may be termed clean i fume and pure CO when delivered into the condenser. The secondary reaction coke is readily placed in position and renewals may conveniently be made by simply removing the bricks and tiles which form the roof portion of the ports.

Vhen using igneous ZnO of fairly good quality and reaction coke with a minimum of ash the residue will be comparatively small and only a nominal .volume and usually in the form of a caked sinter which is easily disintegrated. This sinter may he broken up during certain interim periods as by a slicing bar and in fact if desired may be partially removed as by scraping4 or raking the surfaces of the resistors through the Stoking ports.

At longer periods the overhead tiles may be removed and the resistor may be poked from above as by means ol pointed bars. In the ways above referred to the residue 9 will be caused to pa:-:, down through the grate bar spaces and collect in @essere the sump n, from whence at yet even longer periods it may be withdrawn as through the sump opening 20.

rlhe top of the condensing chamber is covered with Spanner tiles as 2l and above these ordinary bricks are set sufficient to insure effectiveheat insulation, and as previously stated, these tiles and bricks provide the roof of the condenser'.

T ie bottom of the condenser is utilized as a Zinc reservoir R in which is a bath of molten metal Q2. The space interveningbetween the receiving chamber and the zinc reservoir is sub-divided by several series of closely set rods 23 supported upon plates 24e, thereby forming horizontal passages e. Each series of rods docs not extend the full length of the chamber but in or for each series free openings or ports are provided. Thus, in one series there is one port in the center as at 25, while for the next or underlyingr series there are provided two ports, one at each end, as at QG. The roofs and floors of the said passages may be termed corrugated and the side joints between the closely set rods are not tight.

The function of the receiving chamber 19 is tp permit a certain expansion of the incoming fume and gas and to cause equalization of pressure and volume. As is indicated by the flow arrows, the hot Afume and gas in the receiving chamber finds its course of least resistance down through the center port 25, thence it splits and flows right and left along the passage c, then passes down through the end ports 2G and again flows each volume toward the other, until the second center port Q5 reached, when a traverse similar to that above described is repeated to such an extent as is required. The final delivery, however, to be through a center or end ports into the zinc reservoir, whence the face ol` the bath must be trav` erscd. lt will be perceived that as a certain amount of pressure is imparted to the flowing gases a portion thereof will lind its way through the slits which will exist between the rods even though they are closely set, and also thatl the fume as it is condensed must necessarily settle or collect in thc corrugations of the tioors and percolate through the aforesaid slits. The consequence of the ltpregoing is that the fume and gas traversing` the horizontal tiues or channels will be pierced by a great number of vertical sheets i or jets of fume and gas and 4alsoot conflens-cd globules of liquid zinc, the el'l'cct ol which is highlj.7 con/.luche to complete condensation of fume floating in an almosphere of CQ. As the several rows ot' rods are in physical contact with the srqiportingplates 2i and as the lowcrn'iost series of these supporting plates, 24a. is immersed in the bath, the fall in ten'iperaiure between the receiving chamber and the bath is progress iYQ. Fronti-an inspection of the drawings, and :especially Fig. 2=thereof, 1t will be obchannels throughv which zinc fumes flow in a.- sinucus "transit through the receiving chamber. From the last-horizontal channel it will be noted that at least a part. ot the gaseous fume impinges upon the bath 'ot molten Zinc iii the bottom of the condenser and all ot' the fume-which leaves the condenser must pass over and in the presence of the liquid bath. 'It the rods are formed of amorphous carbon and the supporting plates of graphite, the downward fiow of the heat extracted from the fume andgas 'may ie provided for to any desired extent. It is important that this considerable difference in temperature sli-.ill not be subject to serious fluctuations and such a condition is insured 'by providing a chamber or fiue L beneath the zinc.y reservoir, whose function `is to control the temperature of the hath by the introduction of h'eat or cooling airas the ease may be, through suitable openings or tubes 27, 27.

Any residual of gas orfume, after traversing the vface of the bath, finds exit through vthe ports Q8, 529, to chambers T, T1, and thence to atmosphere fromthe tubes 30, 30. These chambers lie parallelto the lower portion of the condenser and immediately beneath the resistors sothat the heat carried therein' by the gases acts to conserve the heat in the resistor hearths and alsov in the sides of the condenser.

Various modifications-might be shown, but as the drawings are indicative of general principles of construction rather than of precise working details, it has not been deemed necessaryto visually'denote that structural alterations may be made without departing from (hespiritand essence of the present disclosure.

Thatl claim is:

1. In an elect-ric zinc furnace, a. bed-0f carbony resistor which in-cross section is widest -at its upper. or reacting surface.

2. Infan electric Zinc furnace a bed-of- 'carbon'resiston an inclosed reaction cham-- ber provided 'with aeries ofopenlings'orl ports extending abovegthc resistor and in the side Walls ofthe `reaction'chamber, through which 'openings or ports the 'charge isstoked to and upon the upper surface of `said resistor.

An electric Zinc furnace having therein a bed-of-earbon resistor, an inclsed reaction' chamber and in the walls thereof 'a seriesofv sideopenings or ports through which the charge is passed to and upon the upper surfnqe of the resistor.

'4. In an electric zinc -furnace,a bed-0L Crbon resistor, aiminclosed reaction chaiui ber and a series ot separated openings or ports through which the charge 1s stoked 1n the form ot' transverse ridges alternating with troughs or trenches to' and u on thej upper surface of said resistor.

An electric furnace having a bed-ofcarbon resistor in an inclosed rcaction'chamber and a charge thereupon in ridge 4or pyramidal formations when the reaction is taking place.

G. An electric-zinc furnace having a bed- .of-carbon resistor contained ,in an inclosed reaction chamber having a free space above and into which all of the volatilized Vprodipcts of the reaction must ascend, said fur-- nace being provided with side openings or ports orcoiuluciing said volatilized products 'ot' the-Vi'eaction'to a condenser.

7. The combination' of a bed-of-carbon resistor in au inclosed reaction chamber ofv an electric furnace and condenser `arranged parallel to the resistor, there beingside ports or openings leading from the upper interior portion oi the reacting chamber to the chamber of the condenserA 8. In aecombined electric furnace acondenser, a lud-of-eaiboii resistor contained in a reaction chamber being spaced above and into which the volatilizcd products of the reaction may ascend and from which said products may pass through side openings or f ports into the condenser 9. In an electric. zinc furnace, a bed-'ofcarbon resistor` an iiiclosed reaction charliber. a condensing chamber parallel to said resistor. and-,a series of connecting openings or ports .filled with broken carbon and through which p'orts the volatilized products of the reaction must pass, the ports-being arranged so that they do not extend below the top of the resistor. i

10. An apparatus of the class described, having in an inclosed reaction chamber the -bed-o-carbon electric. furnace resistor, a condense' arranged adiacentto the reacting chamber and provided with passageways through which the products of reaction 'can pass from the upper portion o'f the reaction chamber to the upper portion of the condenser.

lit

.' 11. A condenser adapted to receive from one or more sources'of supply the volatilized products of the reaction of an electric furnace or electric furnaces, said condenser having horizontall shelf-like members which pro- Vide a series ofsuperposed communicating horizontal channels through which the gaseous fume flows during its passage in a sinuous path through the receiving chamber of the condenser, the condenser also being provided with a bath of molten zinc with which the fume impinges and over'which the fume passes prior toleaving theucoiidenser` l 12. In an electric zinc furnace a condenser adapted to receive the volatilized4 products the reaction from a plurality of sources of supply, sind condenser being provided with a series ot substantially horizontal conlensing` members arranged at different elevations and providing therebetween horizontal channels ior receiving the products of the reaction as the7 flow from the condenser in a sinuous o-r indirect path, said condenser also being construcet so that the residual products of the reaction will tinalltrT -pass over a metal bath located under the horizontally extending condensingmembers above referred. to and in the same chamber tlierewith.

13. An electric Zinc furnace provided withv a condenser adapted to receiye from oneor more sources otlsupply the volatilized prod ucts of the reactionj which thereafter traverse as ries of superposcd horizontal channels whose roofs and floors are formed of adjacent rods.

14.1. in an electric rinc `furnace, a condenser .adapted to receive in the upper portion thereof, from one or more sources of supply, the volatilized products of the reaction, said condenser being provided with a series of supcrposed horizontal flow channels which are donned by rods that form the roots and vfloors said channels.

15. it combinerL electric furnace and condenser haring' in the condensing chamber partitions pro'vidin tlierebetween iow chan- ,nels and' which partitions comprise a series of closely arranged rods that extend transrersel)v to 'the oath of dow.

16. An electric zinc frunace comprised of two parallel bed-of arbonv resistors, an interposed condenser, a root or cover common to all and a compound se ies of ports immediately beneath the root', through one set ot 'which the charge is stoked upon the upper surfaces of said resistors and through andem..

other set of which the volatilized products of the reaction pass to the said condenser.

17. A combined electric furnace and 'fume condenser in which there is located a bed-oicarbon resistor in the lower portion or the reaction chamber and in which there is provided in the path of the low of the fumes from thc resisting chamber to the top oithe condensing chamber a carbon screen or filter5 which is located at a higher elevation 'than the resistor.

1S. fr combined electric furnace and fume condenser in which there is located a bedel- Aarbon resistor in the lower -portion of the react-ion chamber and in which there is provided in the path of the How of the fumes from the resisting chamber to the top of the condensing chamber a carbon screenvor filter, which is located at a higher elevation than the resistor.r the condenser being constructcd so that any residual fumes will pass to a space in the furnace 'directly below the resistor.

19. A combined electric furnace and zinc condenser in which the residual 'prcah'icts leaving the condenser pass directly to a space under the reaction chamber.

Q0. A vcombined electric furnace and zine condenser, a molten zinc receptaclmat the bottom of the condenser, a chamber or flue beneath the condenser and'rneans for heating; or cooling' the said chamber or flue, whereby the temperature of the molten zinc ma)v he controlled according to the rate ell evolution ot zinc fume.

This specii'ication signed and witnessed this 31 day of December fr. i). 1912.

Signed in the presence of- EnwiN A. iioxsnn, D. HAROLD BUSH. 

